In general such a device comprises a conveyor for conveying the carcasses or parts thereof past various processing installations. To that end the conveyor comprises supports for retaining the carcasses or parts thereof, and means for leading the supports along a supply direction past the processing installations. Additionally such a device may comprise a skinner for skinning the carcasses or parts thereof.
Generally, such (automated) skinners for poultry are known. These devices are then provided with skin gripping means that are stationary with respect to the carcass.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,917 describes a skinner having two rollers rotating in opposite directions having an engaging toothing, which rollers during skinning are stationary with respect to the leg to be skinned. The carcass parts such as legs are laid on a rotating disc having holes. The disc each time rotates on so that the next hole with carcass part gets in front of the skinner. A drawback of such known stationary skin gripping means is that in general the skin cannot be detached as a whole from the poultry.
As a result residues of skin may be left or the entire skin may be left. Membranes situated between the skin and the meat may also be left. In other cases the meat can get damaged during skinning.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,143 endeavours to solve these problems by means of a skinner provided with two straight circle cones rotating in opposite directions having engaging teeth as skin gripping means. The skin gripping line of the cones is parallel to the supply direction. By means of a sensor the level of the cones prior to skinning can be adjusted to a certain degree. During skinning the skin gripping line further is stationary with respect to the carcass. Amongst others because of the increasing speed between the cones the skin might be broken, and it may occur that the skin is not pulled off all round as a whole from the carcass. Moreover the back membrane will not be removed.